Cubs missed out on dream bullpen arm because they wouldn’t match the money

Devin Williams was a dream bullpen target for many Chicago Cubs fans, as it would have reunited Craig Counsell with his former All-Star closer. Beyond that, it would have given the Cubs a formidable backend to their bullpen that also includes Daniel Palencia and Phil Maton.

Williams inked a three-year deal worth $51 million with the New York Mets, and it was a deal that felt like it was too rich for the Cubs' taste. With a need in their starting rotation, Shota Imanaga returning with $22.025 price tag, and the team possibly exploring a path leading them to Alex Bregman, that kind of money for Williams likely was never in play.

During a recent hit with 670 The Score, Marquee Sports Network's Bruce Levine provided confirmation of that reality. Levine reported that between the Cubs and Mets, Williams preferred Chicago, but the North Siders weren't willing to match the money offered by New York.

Cubs' balking at Devin Williams' asking price is a story that Cubs fans have become all too familiar with.

As the Cubs still have yet to make their big-ticket addition to the roster, the offseason has played out similarly to past years. The Cubs have identified potential targets, such as Williams and Dylan Cease, only to bow out when the bidding reached past their comfort level. In Cease's case, it does sound like he wanted to go to Toronto, and it was just a matter of getting the contract right.

The assumption is that the Cubs are going to go out of their comfort zone to address their need for a starting pitcher. Whether that's financially by signing Tatsuya Imai to a contract north of $120 million, or through prospects by trading for Edward Cabrera or MacKenzie Gore, the expectation is for the Cubs to make a big splash.

While that expectation has been negated in recent years by team beat writers downplaying the Cubs' urgency in the offseason, there's been a different feel to this offseason.

Perhaps this is the grandest form of the Cubs raising the "we tried" banner during the offseason. That said, if they come away from this offseason empty-handed, there will be little faith to believe in the direction of the organization under Jed Hoyer.